Ventilating range hood



NV- 17, 1959 s.' M. BERNsTElN 2,912,919

VENTILATING RANGE Hoon Filed Sept. 26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 S. M. BERNSTEIN VENTILATING RANGE HOOD Nov. 17, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 26, 195'4 United States Patent O VENTILATING RANGE HOOD Samuel M. Bernstein, Winnetka, Ill.

Application September 26, 1957, Serial No. 686,485

s Claims. (cl. 9s-11s) in my co-pending application, Serial No. 686,381, filed September 26, 1957, entitled Improved Ventilating Range Hood. More specifically, this invention relates to improvements in the reinforcing or bracing means which comprises a housing incorporated in the hood within which may be mounted various appliances and control means for the electrical circuits provided in the hood. The invention further relates to improvements in said housing enabling removable mounting therein of such appliances as for example, radio receiver sets with the control means for said radio receivers positionedk in readily accessible relationship.y This .application comprises a continuation-impart of the aforementioned co-` pending application (now Pat. No. 2,807,994).

As was disclosed in the aforementioned co-pending application Ventilating range hoods are usually made from rather thin sheet metal and therefore are not very rigid because of the large expanse of unsupported thin sheet material. It was also disclosed in the aforementioned copending application that it was very desirable to `incorporate, in readily accessible position, an illuminating xture and switch means for controlling the blower fan unit and the illuminating unit. It was further disclosed that it was desirable to provide housing means for said switch means and illuminating unit ywhich housing could be so constructed and positioned ,as to afford reinforcing or bracing means for said hood, thereby increasing the rigidity thereof sufficiently to insure the practicability of the economically desirable thin sheet construction.

Although the aforementioned Ventilating range hood construction was quite successful and practical, nevertheless it was found that an even greater degree of rigidity in the Ventilating range hood was desirable. It was further found that in addition to the illuminating means and the push button switch control means, it was desirable to incorporate in the hood additional appliances; as for example, a radio receiving set, and to yalso afford means ,for better diffusing the light from said illuminating unit.

it is therefore an important object of this invention to provide an improved Ventilating range hood which will overcome all of the disadvantages of the prior hoods.

Another object is to afford a Ventilating range hood having combined therein a radio receiving set so incorporated and positioned therein as to afford ready access thereto for servicing and replacing.

Since the hood is used in connection with a rangeand is positioned directly thereabove, it is obvious that the hood as well as the appliances contained therein are normally subjected to elevated temperatures, smoke, grease, and fumes during the operational use thereof. Hence, it is obvious that any yappliances contained therein must be insulated or protected against such undesirable conditions. It is therefore another important object of this invention to provide means for affording such protection and insulation without, however, excessively complicating the structure and cost thereof.

A further object is to afford protective housing means for said radio and appliances having simple but effective closure means affording ready access to the appliances and devices enclosed in' said housing. A related object is to design said closure means as removable hinged doors, specially made to resist heat and exclude fumes and smoke, and further designed to enable the radio receiver chassis to be mounted directly on the door, thereby affording ready access thereto for servicing or replacement of parts or for complete removal thereof.

Still a further related object is to afford means for removably mounting said doors in said housing, said means also serving as hinge means for the door.

Still another object is to provide a Ventilating range hood of the character described in which the control means for the radio is conveniently positioned in readily accessible relationship on the front panel of the hood.

Still a further object is to provide a combined Ventilating range hood and radio having speaker means associated therewith and so positioned as to direct the sound Waves emanating therefrom in the most desirable direction.

Yet another Objectis to provide improved light diffusing and reflecting means thereby increasing the illuminating efficiency of the light fixture.

Finally, yet a further object is to provide a Ventilating range hood of the type hereinabove described which is of simple, inexpensive construction yet attractive and sturdy, having incorporated therein a plurality of desirable fixtures and appliances. g

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.V

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the hood looking up from the` bottom of the same;

Fig. 3 is a similar fragmentary View illustrated on a somewhat enlarged scale with portions broken away tol illustrate certain details of construction;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view taken on the plane'.y of line 4-4 in Fig. 3 of the drawings and viewed in the direction indicated;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of line 5 5 in Fig. 2 of the drawings and viewed in the direction indicated;

Fig. 6 is a similar sectional view taken on the plane of line 6-6 in Fig. 2 of the drawings and` again viewed in the direction indicated;

Fig. 7 is a transverse fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of line 7 7 in Fig. 2 of the drawings and viewed in the direction indicated;

Fig. 8 is an exploded fragmentary detail view of one of the features of the invention; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the operation of the feature detailed in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawings Vreference numeral 1t) indicates generally a hood substantially similar to the one disclosed in my co-pending applications and in Fig. 1 is illustrated as mounted beneath a bottom shelf S of a kitchen cabinet K and above a cooking range R. The hood may be defined by a straight vertical wall 12 having straight rear side walls such as 14 in turn integrally formed with inwardly and forwardly inclined front side wall segments such as 16. A downwardly and forwardly sloping top front hood segment 18 is positioned atop the side segments 16. A front wall 20 is positioned to cooperate with the end segments 16 and the front top segment 18 to afford a portion of an enclosure housing indicated generally by reference numeral 21 within which may be mounted certain appliances, fixtures and devices which will be more fully disclosed as the description proceeds.

It will be noted in Fig. 2 of the drawings that the side members 16 may be formed with top marginal edges such as 22 bent inwardly to afford means for mounting thereon the front top member 18 which in turn may then be secured to the marginal liange 22 by any conventional means, as for example, rivets 24. Similarly, the front vertical edges of the side members 16 may be flanged inwardly as at 26 to afford means for securing thereto the front panel 29, again by any conventional means as for example, bolts 27.

In manner similar to the foregoing the top marginal edges of the rear side members 14 may be hanged inwardly as at 28 and the top marginal edge of the rear wall 12 may likewise be anged inwardly as at 30 thereby affording a three-sided horizontal marginal flange upon which may be mounted a removable rear top plate 32 of the type disclosed in one of the aforementioned co-pending patent applications (Serial No. 686,381).

The bottom edges of the rear, rear side and front side, walls 12, 14 and 16 respectively may also be finished by rolling the edges inwardly to afford arcuate flanges identified by the reference numerals 34, 36 and 38. Also the front wall 2G is formed with a bottom flange 40 as shown in Figs. 2, fi,r 5 and 6 of the drawing. The purpose of this liange will be disclosed as the description proceeds.

The description up to this point has disclosed that the front Wall 29 and a part of the inclined top front. wall 18 comprise a portion of the walls defining tbe enclosure 21. To complete the enclosure 21 a rear enclosure wall d2 is provided having a top flanged portion 44- extending rearwardly and a bottom flanged portion '46V extending forwardly. The top flange 44 is obliquely bent complementary to the sloping top front top wall 18 and is adapted to abut the same and be fastened thereto by any conventional fastening means, as for example, rivets 48. To the bottom fiange 46 a bottom closure member Sil may be secured, again by conventional fastening means as for example, bolts 52. The bottom wall 511 is formed with a plurality of spaced-apart rectangular openings such as 54, one provided for each of three compartments provided in the enclosure 21 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings; said enclosures being formed by intermediate walls such as 56 and 58 disposed in spaced relationship with the side wall members 60 and 62 of the enclosure 21.

Within the three compartments of the enclosure 21 there may be mounted various appliances and control units, butin the embodiment chosen for illustration such appliances and control units comprise a radio receiver' set 64 mounted in the right hand compartment, as shown by dotted outlines in Fig. 2 of the drawings (also see Fig. 6); a light xture 66 mounted in the central compartment (also see Fig. 7); and a push button switch control unit 68 mounted in the left hand compartment as viewed in Fig. 2 (also see Fig. 6). It will be noted that the compartment openings 54 for both the light fixture and the radio are closed by hinged door members 70 and 72. The switch unit compartment, however, may be closed by a door 73 which need not be hinged, but instead is secured in position by bolts such as 76.

The hinged doors 70 and 72 comprise novel structures which will now be described in detail. Directing attention to Figs. 2, 3 and 6 of the drawings it will be noted that hinged door 72 comprises a rectangular-shaped panel embossed with an encircling marginal crimp or detent 74 provided primarily to impart stiffness or strength to the thin sheet metal panel. As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings closure panel 72 is dimensioned so that the marginal edges thereof overlie the marginal edges of the opening 54.

For enclosures of this type it is necessary to provide a hinged connection which will, however, be readily detachable so that the hinged door may be removed without requiring dismantling of the hinge or the use of special tools and the like. This is especially desirable in the radio compartment since, as will be noted in Figs. 2 and 6 of the drawings, the radio receiver set 64 is mounted directly on the hinged door 72 and secured thereto by conventional means as for example the screws '76. This typeof mounting is. necessary in order to afford means for ready access to the radio receiver set for the purpose of servicing the same or replacing parts such as tubes and the like. By mounting it directly on the door and securing the same to the door it should be apparent that by merely swinging the door open the radio receiver set is lowered into a readily accessible visible position for servicing and the like.

To afford such a readily separable hinged construction the outermost edge 78 of the door 72 has a pair of L- shaped ears 80 formed in spaced relationship so that the samel protrude outwardly as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 6, 8 and 9 of the drawings. Each of the ears 80 is formed with a short vertical leg 81 and a horizontal leg 82. The vertical` leg 81 spaces the horizontal leg 80 from the outer edge 78 ofthe door to afford a gap 83 opening to one edge thereof. The vertical leg 81 is also offset or bent toy afi ford a step 84 as shown in Figs. 6 and 9 of the drawings. Slots such as 85 are formed in the bottom housing panel 50, said slots being aligned in position with the tongues 80 so that the same may be inserted into the slots and: then moved in a direction to the right as viewed in Figs. 2, 3 and 8 of the drawings. When moved to this position itwill be noted that the right hand portion of the tongue 80 will be moved over the right hand edge S6 of the slot 85 untilthe inner edge 87 of the gap 83 abuts the slot edge 86, with the right hand portion of the leg 82 positoned over the solid metal of the closure panel 50. When so positioned it is obvious that door 72 will be retained in positionwithout however, interfering with the hinging actionA ofthe same, as noted in Fig. 9 of the drawings in which closure door 72 is shown in solid outline in one. position and in dotted outline in another position as it isis similar in structure to the closure door 72 having the' same separable hinges, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7 of the drawings. However, instead of a solid sheet or pla-te, door 70 is formed with a central rectangular cutout portion 88 with the encircling marginal edges of the door formed into an offset molding ange structure 89, said liange 89 and the marginal edges of the cutout portion 88 adapted to retain therebetween the marginal edges of a flat translucent dilusing lens 90. Thus, the light rays from the illuminating bulb 91 are diffused through the lens 90 in such a manner as to aiord maximum illumination as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Again, as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings bulb 91 may be positioned in a socket 92 which in turn is positioned through an opening 93 formed in the wall 58, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7 of the drawings. Reiiector means 94 is afforded by a convoluted sheet of material positioned to encircle the top portion of the bulb in spaced relationship therewith, thereby also aording the top closure member for the illuminating means compartment 95.

As shown in Figs. l, 5 and 6 of the drawings, a speaker 96 is mounted on the top front wall 18 of the hood directly beneath speaker outlet openings 97 formed in the top thereof. The speaker may be connected by suitable leads such as 79 to the radio receiver set, and dial controls such as 98 may be provided to protrude through the front wall 20 and a front control panel 99 mounted on said front wall. So also push buttons such as 100 may be positioned to protrude from said panel 99, said push buttons mounted on switches designed to control the appliances including the illuminating means 66 and an exhaust fan unit (not shown in the drawings) as disclosed in the aforementioned co-pending application. The electrical leads 101 may be positioned through a conduit tube 102 which in turn may be connected with a wiring box 103 in the same manner as disclosed in the aforementioned co-pending application entitled Improved Ventilating Range Hood. The radio receiving set 64 is specially constructed to insulate the vital parts from excessive heat.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my i-nvention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. An apparatus of the class described comprising an improved Ventilating range hood formed of thin sheet material and including at least a front top wall and a depending front wall, said hood adapted to have exhaust means and appliances mounted therein, an elongated housing having at least end walls, a rear wall, and a bottom wall, the front and top edges of said end walls shaped to conform to the cross section of a portion of the front top wall and front wall of the hood, means securing the housing to the hood whereby the said portion of the front top wall and front wall of the hood are maintained in tight engagement with the said edges of the end walls of the housing thereby closing oi the housing and reinforcing at least the front portion of the hood, said housing divided into compartments, control switches mounted in one of said compartments and adapted to be connected to said appliances, means connected to'said control switches for selectively actuating said appliances, said appliances including an illuminating appliance mounted in another one of said compartments and a radio receiver set positioned in still another of said compartments.

2. The apparatus of claim l in which a loud speaker is associated with said radio receiver, said loud speaker mounted on the underside of the portion of said front top wall comprising the top wall of said compartment, said portion having loud speaker openings formed therein, and radio control knobs connected tosaid radio receiver and protruding from said front wall.

3. The apparatus of claim l in which said hood has a rear wall, a pair of straight rear side walls, a pair of inwardly and forwardly inclined front side walls and a reversible, removably affixed planar rear top wall which together with said front top wall and front wall define the hood enclosure, said planar rear top wall having a plurality of readily removable cut-out blanks of varying sizes and shapes, said front top wall being forwardly and downwardly inclined, and said exhaust means comprising an exhaust fan unit adapted to being positioned in said rear top wall.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the bottom wall of said housing is formed with access openings .aligned with each co-mpartment, a door closing each of said openings, at least one of said doors having hinge means for mounting the same on said bottom wall, said radio receiver set removably mounted on said hinged door.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said hinge means comprises a pair of ears formed to protrude in spaced relationship from one edge of said door, and portions of said bottom wall having slots formed in aligned positions with said ears, said ears adapted to fit into said slots and cooperate therewith whereby the door is removably and hingedly connected to said bottom wall.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which said ears are formed with a groove opening to one side whereby upon insertion of the ear in the groove the ear with door attached may be moved to one side until the inner edge of the groove abuts one end edge of the slot thereby retaining the door in position.

7.- In a Ventilating range hood having an exhaust fan unit for collecting and exhausting the fumes and smoke from a cooking range, said exhaust fan unit having leads; a hood housing defined by a back wall, a pair of straight rear side walls, a pair of inwardly and forwardly inclined front side walls, a front wall and a front top wall, all of said walls combining to afford an enclosure, an elongated compartmented housing positioned beneath the apex of said front wall and front top wall, a plurality of appliances mounted in said compartmented housing, said appliances comprising a radio receiver set, an illuminating light fixture and a push button switch control unit, said rear side walls and rear wall formed with horizontal top flanges, a removable rear top panel mounted on said flanges and aixed thereto with removable means to cornplete the top wall of the hood, said top panel formed with a partially-sheared rectangular knock-out blank on one end and a circular partially-sheared cut-out blank on the other end, said panel reversible whereby to reverse the positions of said cut-out blanks, said blanks removable to aord spaces for mounting said exhaust fan unit therein, pre-wired circuits positioned in said hood, said circuits including leads adapted to be connected with the leads of said exhaust fan units, a wiring box removably mountable in either of the apexes of the upper rear corner of said hood, a conduit connecting said wiring box to said compartmented housing, the ends of said conduit being screw-threaded whereby to enable said conduit and wiring box to be swiveled and moved from one side of said hood to the other, said compartmented housing defined by said front top wall, said front wall, a back wall, a bottom wall and a pair of end walls, said bottom wall formed with three rectangular openings spaced one from the other, doors mounted to close said openings, said appliances mounted one aligned with each of said doors and at least the two doors adjacent said radio set and light xture having separable hinge means whereby to connect one edge of said door to said bottom wall.

8. in a Ventilating range hood having an exhaust fan unit for collecting and exhausting the fumes and smoke from a cooking range, said hood being defined by a plurality of walls, including a front wall and a front-top wall, all of said walls combining to ai'rord an enclosure;

lan appliance housing, said appliance housing extending along substantially the entire width of said hood and defined by a back wall, a bottom Wall, a pair of end Walls and the front top Wall and front wall of the hood, said bottom wall formed with three openings spaced one from the other, doors mounted to close said openings, a plurality of appliances comprising a radio receiver set, an illuminating light fixture and a push button switch control unit, said appliances mounted in said appliance housing one aligned with each of said doors, and at least the two doors adjacent said radio receiver set and light fixture having separable hinge means whereby to connect -one edgeofsaid door to said bottom wall.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,602,956 Reynolds July 15, 1952 2,710,573 Marker et al June 14, 1955 2,750,867 Meyer Iune 19, 1956- 2,770,833 Drechsel Nov. 20, 1956 2,807,994 Bernstein Oct. 1, 1957 2,828,633 Joseph-et al Apr. 1, 1958 

